Enniscrone • Statistics for May

May: Late Spring Lull - Smaller Groundswells and Clean South Winds

May is the beginning of the low season at Enniscrone. The average swell height falls to around 4-5ft (1.2-1.5m) and the average period drops to 9.6s - still rideable, but no longer in the powerful long-period category. The directional distribution remains remarkably consistent, with west-northwest (19.6%), north-northwest (19.9%), northwest (17.4%) and west (15.3%) dominating. This is the time of year when the Atlantic still sends a steady diet of background swell, but it lacks the size and punch of winter. Most days will produce small, fun-sized surf in the 2-4ft (0.6-1.2m) range, with occasional pulses when weak lows pass by.

The wind is moderately favourable, with an ideal offshore reading 25% of the time. The wind rose is well spread, but north-northwest winds are the single strongest directional component (12.4%), and those are squarely onshore. Still, the frequency of strong winds is much lower than in autumn, and many afternoons feature light sea breezes. Air temperature averages 10.7°C, water temperature climbs to 11.2°C, and precipitation is at the year's minimum (2.73mm/day). It's a month of small but clean waves - ideal for longboards, foils, or chasing one of the late spring swells before summer's slumber.